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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rule — government
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. march — the month
  9. rule — a law
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mark — a grade
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com